The Secret Circle Awakening
by Acrobat Dances a Playful Tune
Summary: The Circle's reckoning with the True Believers is coming. Cassie has to take them down alone, or risk drawing the rest of the Circle into danger. But how to reconcile her mission with her growing love for Jake?
1. Chapter 1

**The Secret Circle**

_You'd think being a Witch was magical. The truth? It's anything but. My mom died in a mysterious fire which we now suspect to be magically related. One of the members of my Circle died in an effort to kill a Demon. A group of Witch Hunters have arrived in Chance Harbour and I'm in their sights. My lineage is the oldest and my Witchcraft the strongest. My Grandmother is my rock, my friends – the few that I have are my rocks. And then there's Jake. The Witch next door. The guy I'm in love with, except. The naïve traitor who is working with the Witch Hunters. But I shouldn't love him – destiny says I should fall in love with Adam. Except destiny isn't always right. I'm not a naïve little girl that's going to die. I'm going to get rid of these Witch Hunters and free Jake. But if he can't be freed then he has to go with them. Whatever that means._

.

"You seem a little distant, do you have a lot on your mind?" Jane quizzed.

"It's just that a lot's happened recently," Cassie replied, eating a spoonful of cereal, "and I'm…trying to figure things out with Jake."

"I knew him a long time before you did Cassie and I've seen a remarkable change in you," she mused aloud, "he's a remarkable young man. I think losing Nick was a wake up call for him…he ignored a lot of Nick's issues when they were growing up. You're a good influence on him too – is he taking you on another date?"

_Because I'm going to discuss that with you. _

Cassie shrugged calmly, "Jake can make the next move Grandma," at least she wasn't lying – she would let Jake make the next move, so long as she remained ahead of him, and ahead of whoever he was working with, "and then we'll see where we are after that. Diana said she'd give me a ride to School so I'll see you this afternoon, if Jake asks me out I'll call you." She stood up abruptly, swooped down to kiss her Grandma on the cheek and in one fluid motion was already moving toward the door.

.

She turned toward the Armstrong House and waved at Jake who was stood on the porch before ducking inside Diana's car, glad of having a door and some glass between her and Jake – a physical barrier felt so much better than just having some distance. There was something blocking the two of them. Not that she thought he'd picked up mind-reading but the strain of trying to hide the fact that she knew the truth was beginning to get to her. She couldn't lie for much longer, eventually everything was going to unravel. And she had to have figured out how to confront the Witch Hunters first before she told Jake anything. She needed some leverage.

"Are you having trouble with him?" Diana enquired quizzically, turning her head to make eye contact with Jake, he dodged her prying eyes however and Diana was left confused as to whether that was a natural reaction or he was hiding something. Surely he wouldn't be that obvious about it?

"Not at all, why do you ask?" Cassie enquired, fastening her seat-belt as Diana pulled away from the curb.

"Because," she murmured checking her mirror, "you just gave him one of the looks that I found myself giving Adam all the time before we broke up and it doesn't exactly suggest romantic bliss. Come on you can talk to me about this stuff Cassie."

Cassie looked at Diana and tried to smile appreciatively. "I don't mean any disrespect but it's private…with me and Jake things are complicated…I'd rather keep other people out of it."

"We aren't talking about the romance anymore are we?" Diana asked as they pulled up at the junction. "This is Circle stuff isn't it? What is it – are you two fighting about your Books of Shadows? Is he trying to get you to do something you don't want to? Age doesn't necessarily dictate wisdom Cassie – you know that don't you?"

Cassie bit her lip, Diana was trying to be nice. But she couldn't know. No-one could, even Cassie knowing was risky – Jake could sense something was off about her. If Diana knew there was even more risk. She wore her emotions clearly – which was a good quality in a friend but not in a confidant. "Just trust that I know what I'm doing – like you said age doesn't dictate wisdom, I know a lot more than you'd think…now can we talk about something else…have you done your Math homework?"

.

"I'm sorry Charles am I boring you?" Dawn asked, vexed. His attention returned to her from the embrace of the window and she rolled her eyes. "There are Witch Hunters here in Chance Harbour and they have been for a while, and I'm almost certain Jake Armstrong is working with them."

"What do you want me to do?" Charles probed. Though he hated to admit it Dawn only really contacted him when she wanted him to do something for her. Clearly she had something special in mind if she had called him during School hours, and if something had rattled her then they clearly had a reason to be worried.

"We can't lose Jake – we lose Jake and the Circle lose their power, they lose their power and we never get their power." Dawn replied cagily – she would never actually imply what she wanted him to do – then it might infringe on his conscience.

Charles cocked an eyebrow, "If Jake is with the Hunters doesn't he want to kill the Circle? I'm not exactly sure how to take that kind of motivation out of a person Dawn – I don't know if we can. If he's intent upon it then he'll kill them…we all know what a messed up kid he was. Maybe that part of his personality is still with him and he's just concealing it well."

"I don't believe that," Dawn shook her head, "confront him – if he won't change knock him out and we'll lock him up."

"Will that hold him for long enough?" Charles prodded.

"It'll have to – you deal with Jake, I'll deal with the Hunters. Jane will help too – she's still under the impression that we're working to protect the Circle," Dawn mused, contented that she had settled the matter completely, "I'm making Casserole for Dinner, I'll see you at 8. It'll be good for Faye and Diana to get used to eating together as a," she paused as she struggled with the word, "see us as a _family_."

.

"Something's wrong." Diana said as they walked and talked through the busy hallway between classes.

"And why do I care?" Faye asked disinterestedly as she admired herself in the reflection of a door window.

"Because whether you like it or not Cassie is the most powerful in the Circle and we have to help her so that when we really need her she's focused on the issue at hand." Diana said accelerating and rounding on Faye stopping her in her tracks.

Faye groaned, "Look just because Cassie's bloodline is the oldest and because her Grandma appointed her head of the Circle doesn't mean I recognize her authority or the need to help her in her hour of need – we didn't rush to help Melissa when Nick died I'm not suddenly gonna drop everything to help Cassie with some mystery that you can't tell me about Diana."

"Because I don't know what it is," Diana countered, moving to Faye's side again as they continued progressing along the hallway, "Faye we are all bound to one another – surely you can at least sense that something isn't right about Cassie?"

"All that I sense is how annoyed with you I am Diana," Faye said she stopped and turned to glare at Diana, "I'll see you at the Abandoned House this afternoon – you can talk to us altogether with Cassie there. Maybe we'll find out if she really does have a mystery problem."

Diana frowned. That hadn't gone exactly as she planned. She turned around and spotted Adam. She hated seeing him now, all she saw was the guilty look in his eyes. He'd worn it for a long time, ever since she'd broken up with him. The guilt of knowing he'd lied to her and himself, that he loved Cassie and somehow destiny had repeated itself and his feelings had been spurned by Cassie as his father's had been by Amelia. Diana smiled weakly as he walked up, his eyes wandering after Faye.

"What were you arguing about?" Adam enquired, ushering her across to his locker, he opened it and plucked out his Chemistry book, stowing it in his satchel as he waited for a response.

"I'm worried about Cassie, she's distance and it has something to do with Jake. I'm sure of it. She's keeping a secret and she's panicking about it," she clued-up, watching to make sure no-one was listening to them, something told her she had to be on her guard, "I'm half-hoping Cassie will tell us tonight at the Abandoned House but I don't want to push her. She needs a friend not an interrogator…maybe you could speak to her?"

Adam gave her a quizzical look, "What makes you think she'll speak to me?"

"Fine it was a stupid plan." she replied angrily, drawing away from him and moving into the flow of students on their way to Class.

"Diana, come-on!" Adam called after her but she'd already moved away from him. They hadn't found a comfortable friendship yet. Instead they were somewhere in between. Not quite in a relationship, not quite in a casual friendship. Instead they just seemed to argue all the time and Adam didn't know how to get to a good place. And it wasn't as if he could talk to Cassie. She was in love with Jake – which was impossible. Mainly because Jake was a dick and incapable of winning such a sweet girl as Cassie but also because she couldn't be, destiny said he was going to end up with Cassie. Like Amelia and his Dad before them. They were tied together by the stars.

Adam felt a tingling on the back of his neck, "Careful Adam, anyone would think you were pining about Diana." Faye grinned at him maliciously as he swung round to face her, "Oh wait, that's impossible because you're in love with Cassie. Except she…rejected you…didn't she?" She let out a shrill laugh, "Oh Adam, you're so…_pathetic_. Please have a shred of respect for yourself and try not to spend the entire meeting staring at Cassie."

.

"You wanted to see me?" Cassie asked, poking her head around the Principal's door.

"Of course Cassie, please, take a seat." She gestured to one of the chair's in front of her and Cassie sat down, instantly feeling foreboding rising inside of her. Dawn was on the face of it the antithesis of everything Faye stood for. She was kind, sincere. But Cassie understood a lot more than people's external appearances. Her Grandma was a case in point. The kind, harmless old lady. Or the super-powerful Witch, depending on what part of herself she showed you. Everyone in Chance Harbour – at least everyone Cassie met had a persona that they used to further their own objectives. Dawn liked playing the caring Principal – it had after all allowed her to get close to the Circle. But Cassie understood implicitly that Dawn had objectives, and she was Faye's Mom. Two reasons to not like her. "I understand from Faye that you've been spending a lot of time with Jake Armstrong – are you two dating?"

"We've been on dates but we aren't exactly…dating." Cassie admitted, trying to keep her answer as ambiguous as possible.

Dawn nodded – she'd expected as much, "Do you like spending time with him? Is it because he's older?"

"He's certainly more mature than some of the boys here," she admitted – Adam was being…annoying, it was as if he didn't even know how to behave around girls, "I'm sorry what relevance does my personal life have to my school life Principal Chamberlain, I'm just not following? Did you ask me in here for something else?"

Dawn sighed and then fixed Cassie with a steely look, "Fine, let's not avoid things Cassie – you know as well as I do that Jake is working with Witch Hunters. I want to protect the both of you, and the only way I can do that is by getting you away from Jake."

"Did you already set your attack dog on him?" Cassie was grimly aware of Diana's Father's roles in Dawn's schemes.

She smiled at Cassie in a look she hoped would unsettle the girl.

"Cassie I didn't want to have to make this difficult but I will if I have to. Jake is in a very dangerous position, I need to take you out of the equation so that I can take those Witch Hunters," Dawn paused a moment weighing the merits of going through with the original plan, "and you're going to help me Cassie Blake."

"Why would I help you?" Cassie quizzed, her interest piqued.

"Because if you don't I'll have Charles kill Jake. That'll draw out the Hunters and then I can kill them."

That got to her. "You wouldn't, you need him."

"You act very old and very wise Cassie but I don't you know even the first thing I want. You could guess, you might even get it right but you can't be certain and you won't take that risk," Dawn fixed her with a grin that reminded Cassie very much of Faye in one of her moment's of effortless triumph, "come-on Cassie we both want the same thing, to protect you and to protect Jake."

Somehow she felt like she was singing a deal with a devil, "I doubt that very much. What do you want me to do?"

"You're going to bring me Jake, you bring me him and I can protect him."

.

Melissa looked at her French Fries and picked one up, almost bringing it to her mouth before putting it back. She'd lost her appetite; Faye had walked in. She slid into the opposite side of the booth and smiled at Melissa in her perfect, friendly and menacing way. Melissa sighed; she hated having Faye like this. There were times – rare times – when Faye could be a good friend. But the rest of the time she was a sociopathic bitch hell bent on ruining everyone's lives.

"Why are you so happy?"

"Because Adam's rattled, and if Adam's rattled so is Diana and so is Cassie – which means the time is ripe for me to take control," Faye cast her eyes over to the bar, "is Adam working tonight?"

"I saw him leave about half an hour ago," Melissa replied distractedly, Faye gave her an interested look and Melissa rolled her eyes, "he's probably meeting Diana before the meeting to discuss tactics. He doesn't trust Jake, and neither do I."

"Cassie does," Faye murmured, she didn't like talking about Jake too much, "and isn't she supposed to be our leader?"

"You don't think so," Melissa countered, "do you Faye? If you had your way you'd be leading us to greater heights of magical greatness wouldn't you? Well you missed your chance, there's a darkness coming and Cassie seems to be the only one who knows what to do."

"_Seemed_ to, you forget she isn't exactly giving us any information," Faye reminded, ignoring the swipe at her, "aren't you a little bit interested to find out what blondie's up to?"

"No Faye, no I'm not," Melissa stood up suddenly, "this darkness killed Nick, if she's doing stuff to stop it and doesn't want to be bothered I don't really care. I'll see you at the meeting."

Faye swung round, "Where are you going, it isn't like you have any other friends?"

"Neither do you Faye," Melissa turned away from her and strolled out of the Boathouse, completely uninterested in continuing the conversation, "neither do you."

.

"Diana I told you I didn't want to discuss it this morning," Cassie said as she unwrapped her hair from the turban and let her wet-locks hang down, "can't you just leave it?"

"Cassie I'm worried – this darkness is after us all, that girl that attacked you with a knife? They might have attacked you because you're the most powerful but that doesn't mean they won't try and pick us off one by one," Diana replied fiercely, "I think we have a right to know what we're up against."

Cassie slumped onto her bed exasperatedly, "I don't understand why you want to make something into a threat when it hasn't really materialised yet." She stopped herself before she went too far along the line of exasperation – it was liable to make her say something that she regretted.

"You don't have to do this alone – this is why we bound the Circle, so that we can work together and be stronger for it," Diana implored, "just…just let me help you."

"Diana I can't burden you with this, I'm the leader of the Circle, I have to protect us…I've been entrusted with a great power and I'm not going to expose the rest of you to this danger Diana," Cassie shrugged, "I'm not going to expose any of you."

.

She hated lying to them all. Melissa had suffered so much in losing Nick and now Cassie was making her accept his lying traitor of a brother, Jake, as an ally. Faye could probably tell something was amiss but she wasn't saying it, she was saving it: leverage for if she ever had a chance at taking power, a reason to dethrone Cassie. Diana. She was so kind – one of the only true friends Cassie had in Chace Harbour, and she knew Cassie was keeping things from her, but she kept loyal. Even though their lives were at risk. Cassie might be annoyed at Adam but she still felt like crap for duping him. And then there was Jake. He had been so good to her – he was a lying bastard, that she couldn't deny – but it wasn't of his own making. He didn't know how he was being manipulated. He didn't know how Nick had really died – none of them did. Cassie didn't know the exact details beyond knowing that Dawn Chamberlain was involved somehow.

"We just need to always be near one another, our own homes aren't even safe so I'm considering using some of these defensive spells that I found in my Book of Shadows." Cassie said, her eyes flickered to Jake and again she saw it. Something wasn't right about him. His eyes kept flickering to the doors. And suddenly Cassie could feel a jet of danger shoot through the Circle, Faye had been the warning lighthouse, Melissa had caught it of her, and then Diana had passed it to Cassie, and they were all focusing on Jake.

"What are you hiding?" Faye demanded, crossing the room and squaring up to Jake.

Cassie crossed the room, immediately grabbing a hold of Jake by the arm and steering him, despite resistance away from the others, putting distance between them. She flashed a meaningful look at Diana, "Get everyone home, now. Tell my Grandma where I am." Diana seemed to falter but then moved and Adam followed her lead, Melissa lingered before following them, only Faye remained.

"No fricking way Cassie – this isn't a lovers tiff. This is something else what did _he_ do?" Faye inquired, moving toward them again.

Cassie gave Faye a look that she hope communicated the urgency of the situation, "Faye please, just go." She took a few steps back and then flew out of the other door, Cassie turned toward Jake and she could see something in his cerulean coloured eyes. He was panicked and she could tell, she touched at his arm and it was tensed: on edge. She stroked at the side of his face and he looked at her sweetly.

"Thank you for that."

She moved her hand away and instantly iced over, "You don't really think I'm as stupid as them do you? Give me some credit."

"I don't understand." Jake replied, he was convincing but didn't have her convinced.

"Even now you can't tell me can you?" Cassie prodded. "I waited Jake, I waited and waited for you to tell me and you couldn't manage that could you?"

"Cassie-"

She turned on her heel and spotted the girl lingered at the edge of the room in the shadows, "You did this to us – just remember that." She turned and lit a candle and then turned toward the girl, "Power of Fire, burn my foe," she heard the girl whine slightly, "power of fire, burn my foe." She felt the crystal burning in her jean pocket as she used the power and then heard Jake cry out, she swivelled round and watched as Jake dropped to the floor, clutching at his neck. She then turned round and the girl was upon her at close quarters.

She screamed as she stumbled back from a blow to the abdomen before trying to bring a fist back at the girl. Then she felt the object smash into her head and she dropped to the floor, darkness creeping over her as consciousness seeped away from her.

. . .

Hope you liked my first ever Circle fic,

There will be more in the coming weeks,

Acrobat

X


	2. Chapter 2

**The Secret Circle**

"Was it wrong of me to hope that you wouldn't wake up?"

Jake coughed a few times as he tried to shake off his grogginess and found that his head was ringing – they'd used some kind of sedative on him, he blinked a few times and took in his surroundings. It was reminiscent of the house by the harbour that Isaac had been using, except there were no windows and the walls were made of brick. Across the tables there were a few things laid out loosely. He scanned the floor around them and spotted a thick circle of some kind of metallic compound circled around them – two circles he reassessed after blinking a few times.

"Where are we?" he asked and realized that his throat was burning – dehydration.

Cassie laughed, "Because this is all my doing? Really Jake how naïve do you think I am?"

"Cassie I swear I don't know anything about _this_." He said, sounding sincere.

"Forgive me if you swearing doesn't mean very much," Cassie sighed and looked at the floor between her boots, "you know I was actually stupid enough to think that if we fell in love you might let me in? But it was all just a game to you – when you were planning on killing me Jake? When we made love? After I fell asleep? Well I guess your Witch Hunter Masters finally figured out that you know too much and that being a Witch your motives ought to be polar opposite to theirs. At least they bought that part of my act."

"What did you do?" Jake demanded, Cassie laughed again hopelessly.

"You fell in love with me Jake, that wasn't part of their plan," she grinned, not that he could see it bound back-to-back with her on two hard, uncomfortable wooden chairs, "and clearly the Witch Hunters bought into it. At least I'm taking you down with me."

"Cassie please," Jake said, trying to mask the rising desperation inside of him, "I don't know what this is – focus with me, we can break out of the bonds."

"About that? See my Grandma told me not to tap into that part of me, the darkness. Every time I take something from it I have to give it more of me," she shook her head, "you told me to embrace that…let myself become a monster? What kind of sick person does that Jake?"

"Witchcraft killed my parents and took my brother." Jake declared, lashing out at Cassie and then regretting it.

"So that means we're all to blame Jake?" Cassie quizzed mock interestedly, "Great Logic there Jake, maybe once we're both burned alive you can tell me on the other side what your great plan was? Would you have killed Nick if they'd asked you to?" The minutes of silence that passed between them told her all she wanted to know.

"Cassie you know I-" the door to the basement opened, casting an arc of natural light into the artificially lit, dingy, damp room. Cassie looked up and rolled her eyes, this was just typical. Dawn Chamberlain strolled down the stairs and paused just out of reach of the two rings of metal. "Cassie whose there?"

"It's not the Hunters," she murmured disinterestedly, "hello Mrs Chamberlain."

"Cassie…I wish we could have met under better circumstances but you didn't bring me Jake." Dawn said in her crisp, controlled tone.

Cassie sighed, "Unfortunately I was detained…I'm almost certain that the Witch Hunters will be moving in on the others – do you know where they are?"

Cassie saw a flicker of panic flash across Dawn's eyes before she froze them over again, regaining her control, "Charles and your Grandma will protect them," Cassie laughed, a Witch who was running on the last remnants of his stripped power and her Grandmother – not exactly a formidable defence against the people Jake was working with, "but I need to use you two, more specifically Jake to lure out those Hunters."

"I knew you didn't want to protect us." Cassie replied, feeling Jake pulling at the bonds and sighed. Did he really think that Dawn was going to be stupid enough to allow them to be tied up with frayed rope. "When were you going to tell Faye that you were exploiting her powers to recover your own?"

"Faye is not important," Dawn said, moving around Cassie to face Jake, "Jake is the one that I'm interested in."

"How do you plan on getting them here?" he enquired, raising an eyebrow interestedly.

He spotted a flash of metal as Dawn produced a blade, and moved carefully on the blank space between the two circles, slicing into Jake's wrist and taking a vile of blood and then delicately easing her way back out of the circle, clutching the vile of blood to her chest.

"Needless to say they'll be here in due course, and when they get here, they're going to die." She grinned at Jake and then left them together in the basement.

.

"You don't need to worry you did the right thing in coming here," Jane Blake murmured as she rummaged in her cupboards looking for the appropriate herbs, "Diana, Adam I'm going to need your help to protect this house and then I will find Cassie and Jake. Take a handful of this," she said handing them some dried heather, "and a handful of these." She offered the two younger Witches a box of White Sage from which they each plucked some of the ivory coloured leaves. She bent down again and produced four jars, handing two to the younger Witches and putting two on the side for herself, she filled them and watched over Diana and Adam as they filled there's and then collected the four jars on the side. "Now I need this," she produced a small beaker of green liquid and added two drops to each jar, "say this spell after me each time. _Protect this house from evil close_," Adam and Diana joined in, "_protect this house from evil close, protect this house from evil close, protect this house from evil close_."

Jane turned toward the two Witches and could tell both were scared, their auras were radiating as much into the atmosphere around them, "Adam, Diana I need you to stay here and wait for me, take these jars to the four corners of the house – it will create a protective field in which you will be safe. If I don't come back in an hour don't call for me – don't let anyone in, even your father Diana or yours Adam. I just hope Faye and Melissa are alright – do you know where they went?"

Diana shook her head, "Unless…Faye wouldn't be so stupid. The Wilson's antiques shop – when we figured out that Calvin was a Witch Faye started obsessing over stuff we might find there…depending on what happened with Cassie and Jake Faye might have headed there…I'm not sure where Melissa went. She left before we did."

"I have to find Cassie…she has her crystal which means she and Jake are in grave danger," Jane paused a moment, "move those jars now," Adam and Diana nodded and took two each, moving off to the corners of the house, "stay safe."

.

Faye paused – had that been a noise? She crept further along the corridor into the backroom and darted into a cabinet in the corner, shutting the door behind herself, leaving a crack through which she could watch the entrance to the room. She could feel the crystal jabbing into the side of her leg in her pocket but she didn't dare move now, in case she made a noise. The foot-steps followed and then Faye breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized the curled, dark-haired head of Melissa enter the room.

"You scared me!" Faye yelled, though not quite as loud as usual since she was still sure they were in some kind of danger.

Melissa shrugged, "I saw you come in here and I was worried you might do something stupid. What are you looking for anyway?"

"Something…_anything_," Faye replied, exasperated, crossing to the table which was covered in a layer of dust: clearly no-one had been in the antiques shop since Calvin Wilson had turned up dead, "Jake's mixed up in something dark Melissa…something evil…and I'm going to find something here to stop him." She let out an anguished sigh and began rummaging through the books in the dilapidated back-room. "There has to be something here of use."

Melissa raised an eyebrow, "What's that?" she bent down and picked up a leather-bound book and put it on to the table, wiping away some of the dust and finding it was unmarked. She flicked it open and recognized the text as being old…very old. It was a handwritten set of scribbles running the length of the page with a few illustrations, she began flicking through it as Faye's eyes widened at the possibility.

"I thought the Wilson's weren't in the Circle?" Melissa quizzed interestedly.

"They weren't," Faye replied coldly, "they weren't strong Witches – they must have been more interest in White Magic…mixing remedies and things to assist ailments. Makes sense, if you're weak you don't practice aggressive magic…this still isn't any use." Melissa continued flicking through as she found something altogether different and put her hand down, stopping the page turning. Faye cast her gaze over it, "Well, well, well maybe White magic isn't so weak after all."

"We need to take this to Adam's Dad," Melissa said calmly and Faye gave her a thunderstruck look, "Diana and Adam went running off to Cassie's Grandma – Adam's Dad is the only other one who will know what to do with Witches running riot. I mean unless you want to go to your Mom or Diana's Dad?" Faye gave her an equally fearsome look and Melissa closed the book, clutching it to her as they swept out of the room.

.

"Clearly your little Hunter friends failed if Dawn got to us, unless she's using slave labour now but somehow that seems a little…ridiculous," Cassie drawled distractedly, her throat was starting to burn with thirst and she was becoming increasingly drained by being in the room with Jake, "what was your big plan Jake, out of interest?"

Jake laughed this time, "Well you ruined things at Halloween, and your little lovey-dovey act actually took me in which was a mistake and maybe I did fall for you Cassie. But Witchcraft took everything from me – I was going to lure you all to the Abandoned House, the Hunters would close in and you'd all die at close quarters."

"And then they'd kill you," Cassie reminded, "out of interest did you know that I had the crystal, or the old documents about the Hunters? I just wondered if that's why you killed Calvin Wilson?"

Jake wanted to snap back but was growing more tired by the minute, "He was spineless. He didn't even try to stop me. He deserved it."

"You're so full of hate aren't you," Cassie judged, "and so consumed by it you let someone exploit you, that's why you're mad. Yes your Parents were killed by magic and Nick was killed by a Witch Jake but that doesn't mean every Witch is responsible for what happened. They died because magic was abused by someone evil…by my Father…he perverted the magic they were using and misled my Mother and that Circle into doing something completely wrong. Jake I loved you, and hell, depending on how you act in the next few minutes I might actually love you after this. But I need to know that you accept that magic isn't to blame, otherwise I'm going to have to take your powers from you."

Jake laughed and then let his laughing die down, "Maybe I want that Cassie? I'd be free from Witchcraft."

"You don't really believe that, you might hate…or at least think you hate Witchcraft but you love having powers, you also loved the superiority you got from not having a bound Circle to sap at your power." Cassie shot her head to the door as Dawn descended the stairs again, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Cassie turned her head away, "Oh please Cassie carry on with your motivational speech. Except it won't work and I'm quite glad it isn't, because Jake will be perfect bait and he'll be killed. The furious Witch, ranting and raving about the evils of Witchcraft as he dies and his blood runs down this street. The Hunters are nearly here Cassie, I hope you're ready for a show. And if you're wondering Jake your little cohorts are knocked out upstairs awaiting rescue. Of course they won't be rescued, I'm going to kill them, with what's in your pocket Cassie." Dawn carefully passed the two circles ringing the two Witches and bent down toward Cassie, plucking the crystal out of her pocket and marvelling at it for a few moments before stepping out of the Circle.

"I'll deal with you two later."

.

"Are they secure?" Charles enquired. He cast his gaze over the two unconscious figures on the carpet of the upper room of the disused shack.

"They won't escape, and in any case Cassie no longer has her crystal," Dawn said, offering it to Charles to hold as she moved around the room, to the window, looking out on the wooded approach to the building, "they're Scouts are already assembling positions around the building, are you ready?"

Charles nodded. He was completely relaxed. For once he'd actually be killing someone meaningful, when he'd become involved in Dawn's scheme he had known that the road they would follow would be a dark one but he hadn't been prepared for the darkness that had threatened to consume him. He'd murdered Amelia Blake and Nick Armstrong – and he'd somehow managed to subvert remorse as an emotion, ignoring it and forging ahead. To get his powers back. Although in retrospect he wasn't even sure how important it was to get his powers back if it meant putting Diana in harm's way. Which he had done. She had almost been killed several times after spearheading the binding of the Circle.

Dawn clutched Cassie's crystal in her left hand and Henry's in her right hand as she slowly opened the door and walked out onto the porch, the Hunters were advancing toward the house now and Dawn greeted them, knocking the four preliminary Scouts against trees, killing them by breaking their spinal chords as they struck branches. She advanced as Charles joined her, having disposed off the two juvenile hunters they'd captured. She smiled as she came face-to-face with the lead hunter, a bearded man. Dawn handed Charles a crystal and raised a hand to deflect an incoming flurry of arrows, redirecting them towards their Archers in the trees, causing a series of cries as they dropped from the branches to the ground – also dead.

"Is that the best you can do? I thought the True Believers were meant to be experts?" she murmured and then Dawn collapsed as the spell struck her in the back.

.

"Faye I don't know what you think you know but you have to put that spell-book back where you found it," Ethan dismissed bringing out fresh bottles of spirits to change over in the bar, "it might seem benevolent but its dangerous magic. You could end up getting yourself killed, or worse killing other people."

"But it's for the greater good isn't it?" Faye said in an innocent voice, "That's what the spell's about _Dispose of the one_…" she trailed off before she fully completed the spell and gave him a look telling him to tell them what he knew. Melissa snatched the book of Faye and shut it, placing it on the bar and seated herself on one of the stools.

"We are worried about Cassie and about Jake Mr Conant…just please tell us what you know about _that_ spell." Melissa gave him a sincere look and shot Faye one to tell her to stop pressing him and cut-out the suggestive act, it wasn't helping them to succeed anymore than the nicely, nicely, softly, softly approach would.

He cast his eyes over the Boathouse – it was more or less deserted apart from a few old timers sat at the booths overlooking the harbour, blissfully unaware of the sorcery being conducted at the bar, "Amelia…she led the Circle in using that spell because she wanted to kill John Blackwell-"

"-Cassie's Dad?" Faye enquired, becoming genuinely intrigued, pulling a stool up beside Melissa.

Ethan nodded, "Because…because he had been manipulating her – it was after the rest of our Circle…after they'd passed on…she killed Blackwell but the darkness affected her…it affected Cassie. The way that she escaped from the Witch Hunters with you – that was because of the Dark Magic it makes her stronger but also more susceptible to manipulation. If you use a Spell like that there are consequences…with John Blackwell it transferred his darkness to Cassie…if you use that on the Hunters…there's no telling what it will do."

"So what do we do?" Melissa enquired.

"We find Cassie and Jake," Jane Blake murmured walking up to the bar, "and then we finish this once and for all."

.

"She's been gone longer than an hour." Adam commented.

Diana looked up at him and scanned the clock, "It's only five minutes over just calm down."

"When Cassie could be dead?" he asked, fire building inside of him.

"We both care about her." Diana reminded, standing up to try and calm him down.

"Really Diana? Cause I seem to remember you being pretty pissy when you found out that I'm destined to be with her! Except the connection seems to have got something wrong doesn't it? Or else why would Cassie be in love with Jake?"

"Why are you being like this?" Diana demanded, she could tell he was getting angrier with every passing moment, "Is it being cooped up in the house are you getting Cabin Fever?"

"We should be doing something, shouldn't we?" he demanded and let out a yell, pounding his fist against the wall.

Diana steered him to one of the chairs at the kitchen table, "Adam just calm down, breathe deeply."

"That's right Adam breathe deeply," murmured a voice as a female slipped into the room, Diana swivelled on a heel to fight back but instead received a blow to the head dropping to the floor, "Diana down and now I'm taking you down to." She produced a bottle and poured the contents onto Adam, causing him to scream out and drop to the floor, rolling around in agony.

.

**Hope you liked Chapter 2,**

**Also I know it's very AU but I'm doing my best to predict things that might happen and to draw together plot elements,**

**Thanks for the reviews, **

**More advice and responses are as always welcome,**

**Acrobat**

**X **


	3. Chapter 3

**The Secret Circle**

"Do you have a death wish?" the curly-haired boy asked, circling Jake as he squinted against the harsh, artificial light shone into his face. "Or did you just want to spoil the hunt?" Jake bit hard on his tongue as the knuckles slammed into his cheek as he was slapped across his face. The boy regarded him, Jake guessed he couldn't be much older than he was – they might even be the same age. For a moment he regretted having gotten himself into this situation. But then he remembered why he was there. And what he could offer _them_.

"Isaac?" the boy seemed anxious and agitated suddenly, Jake tried to swing his head but he received a slap across the other side of his face for trying to turn his head. Through his half-closed eyes Jake could make out a man in his mid-to-late forties, a few days worth of stubble growing on his face and heavily lidded eyes suggesting he hadn't slept in a while. "I was just…interrogating the Witch." The boy silently stepped backward as _Isaac _rounded on Jake.

"You're an Armstrong aren't you?" the Witch-hunter quizzed knowingly.

Jake simply nodded.

"Your fair hair and eyes gave you away – they're a running trait in your bloodline," Isaac mused aloud knowingly, "Luke give us some time alone," _Luke_, Jake now recognized, left the room, "so what does an Armstrong Witch want with walking straight into the lair of a group of unscrupulous, cruel, sadistic Witch Hunters?"

Jake paused, weighing up how to respond.

"Your famous and you left your door open." He raised an eyebrow and almost expected to be hit around the face.

Isaac fixed him with a cold stare but then walked away from his captive. "So why let us capture you?"

"Because I want to help you," Jake said, only letting a trickle of anguish fill out his voice, "my parents died because of Witchcraft, if I don't do something soon I'm going to lose my little brother too – he's an ass but he's the only family that I have left and I won't lose him."

Isaac raised an eyebrow this time, "So you would go to the lengths of killing your own kind to protect him?"

"Blood is stronger than water," Jake reminded and Isaac seemed to half-snigger at the implied joke, that a Witch could do more powerful magic with blood than with water, "and they have a full Circle now that this Cassie girl has returned to Chance Harbour. It's mutually beneficial, I can take them down by magical means and save my little brother, you get to kill Witches."

"At the end of the day you're a Witch, and so is your brother."

"His magic is useless unless they bind their Circle," Jake interrupted boldly, "and I've come here unarmed and haven't attempted to escape when I easily could – can't you take that as a sign of faith?"

Isaac started straight into the boy's eyes and then in the blink of an eye cut through the bonds, releasing him. "We have work to do – betray us and I swear we'll kill you in a heartbeat."

.

"Try to help her and I'll kill her in a heartbeat," Jake uttered calmly, holding Cassie tightly by the bonds still around the back of her hands, "don't think I won't – and if you try anything with that crystal in your hand I'll make sure _she_," he said gesturing to Dawn's motionless body with his left hand, "dies too."

"Well done Jake," Isaac advanced toward Charles and slipped a knife into his abdomen withdrawing it and watching as he dropped to the ground, Jake gave him a look and Isaac responded with an iced over expression, "it's a flesh-wound, you can kill him magically later, right now we need to leave with these Witches Jake, take them to the safe house and kill them. Before the others can organise themselves."

"Did you get the others?" Jake enquired as he man-handled Cassie toward Isaac, a figure emerged from the line of the woods and crossed quickly to them, grabbing Cassie roughly and holding her while Jake and Isaac spoke to one another.

Isaac nodded, "Diana and Adam are already at the safe-house waiting for you to…ahem…work your magic," Jake laughed slightly, Isaac's black humour had originally been a quality Jake quite liked; now he just became more and more unsettled around him, "come-on we need to move the Witches will pick up our trail sooner or later."

.

"They were here," Jane murmured, passing her hand over the ground, she could pick up traces of Dawn, Charles, Cassie and Jake in the surrounding area, "Faye focus upon your mother, she'll be our best chance of finding the others – you two have a connection made of blood…I'd try and reach out to Cassie but I'm not sure that will be possible. Her father is starting to take a greater hold over her and I'm not entirely sure that he'll let me in."

Faye nodded and closed her eyes, reaching out around her. She could sense the elements – the dew on the ground and the water in the leaves of the trees of the wood. She could feel a Squirrel rummaging in the undergrowth and then – then it bolted. It climbed a tree and it was watching something. Someone. A group of people. The Squirrel returned to hunting for food amongst the leaves on the ground. Faye opened her eyes and looked around at Melissa, Jane and Ethan. "They went North." She said, indicating the direction through the woods.

Jane nodded and set-off, taking big strides as they crossed the threshold into the woods. Faye hung back as Ethan headed off after her so she could keep pace with Melissa. Melissa seemed deeply troubled and Faye could tell that she was dwelling on Jake, again.

"We all knew he was a bastard," Faye murmured under her breath, "guess we just hadn't counted on him being this much of a bastard."

Melissa sighed and fought back a single tear that was trying desperately to break free, "I might have said that I didn't want anything to do with him since he didn't seem to care about Nick but I genuinely thought we were making a connection or something. Oh God," she said as realisation dawned upon her, "was he just befriending me so he could get information on me so he could kill me? Was that what he was doing with all of us? Gathering information and data before deciding to kill us all?"

"I thought I said he was a bastard?" Faye smirked, Melissa laughed a little at that.

Melissa frowned, "I didn't think there was anything in this part of the woods."

"Perfect place for a hideout don't you think?" Faye quizzed whimsically, looking up toward the canopy and the glowing moon above their heads, dimly illuminating their movements through the forest. "If…if something happens to the others…we have to be strong and we have to fight for them," Faye opened her hand and showed her grandfather's crystal to Melissa, "I found this in my Mom's things…she still thinks she lost it somewhere. Call it our secret weapon. If things get bad, we can take them down."

"We'll have to," Melissa reminded, "Ethan can't produce magic on his own…he was stripped of his powers…and Cassie's Grandma is too old to be that much use against a pack of Witch Hunters."

Faye nodded, "They're also gonna have guards posted around it."

"Don't you remember that spell that we found in Diana's Book of Shadows?" Melissa prodded and Faye nodded with recognition, "_Pawns of my foe, be marked so we may know. Pawns of my foe, be marked so we may know._" They chanted a few times and then stopped. "Do you think it worked?" Melissa probed.

Faye stopped dead – the footsteps ahead of them had stopped and then they realized why. Like a nest of fireflies, buzzing about the woods, there were a nest of sentries, obliviously marked out at a clearing that was beginning to open out from the forest. At least they didn't know they were marked, Faye and Melissa crept forward to join Jane and Ethan at the edge of the wood.

"We have to be cautious," Jane murmured, "those marks have given us an advantage but they haven't made it a sure-run thing – Cassie, Jake, Diana and Charles are all in there."

"And Adam," Ethan said grimly, gritting his teeth, "I can feel him, Diana too…faintly…they're getting weaker."

Jane nodded, "A combination of Iron Sulphide and a certain combination of herbs…it will drain their powers from them…they'll be weak unless we get in there quickly. Faye, Melissa – you have to go in there and get them all out, Ethan and I will cause a distraction out here. It will only be simple magic but those guards are jumpy enough that they'll react to it. Do not put yourselves in unnecessary danger, if you can't get to them then don't risk your lives to do it – we will get them out another way." Melissa and Faye ran off, "Faye," she turned on her heel to face Jane and walked back toward her, Melissa paused waiting for her right on the edge between grassy plain and forest, "if it comes to it, you may have to kill Jake. Remember that. I have faith that…if it comes to that you will be able to make the choice. If you don't think you can…stay here with me and Ethan will go with Melissa."

Faye thought over all Jake had done to her and what little benefit he had given to her life, "If I can't take him alive I'll kill him, he knows too much. _They all do_."

.

"Were you ever gonna tell Faye and Diana or were you just planning on using their powers to resurrect your own and then taking their powers away from them?" Cassie quizzed, at least she wasn't tied back-to-back with her fellow prisoners this time. Diana and Adam was still unconscious so there was no harm in quizzing Charles and Dawn, in any case Cassie expected that she was either going to be killed or rescued in the next few minutes. She wouldn't get another chance to grill Charles and Dawn while they were panicking about their own fates.

Charles flashed Dawn an urgent look, "There are a lot of things they don't know. That they can never know. Things that none of you can ever know."

Dawn gave him a disapproving look: he had said too much.

Cassie, strange though it was, felt a stirring of happiness deep inside of her. She had rattled them. And then she felt a pang of sadness as she remembered what evil, wicked things the two Witches across from her had committed. Would Faye and Diana ever forgive them? Cassie couldn't forgive Charles for killing her mother, Melissa wouldn't forgive his murder of Nick…their actions were generally unforgivable. "Jake's going to have to kill us face-to-face, if he wants to do it right." Cassie reminded and then noted the lack of any metallic compound around the Witches – clearly the Witch Hunters were getting sloppy.

The room was illuminated by an overhead light-bulb that flickered a little as Cassie focused on it – that might be of value if she needed it. The interior door opened, admitting Jake, accompanied by Isaac and some of the younger Witch Hunters walked into the garage. Cassie stared straight at Jake into his eyes and was almost certain her look received not only recognition but a reaction deep inside of him. Maybe she had rehabilitated him more than she realized – it would just be a question of whether their connection could break whatever hold Isaac had over him. Whatever lies Jake's head was full off.

"So this is what it's come to?" Cassie probed, ignoring the furious look she was receiving from Isaac. "This so isn't you Jake…you can do your whole intimidating bit but at the end of the day you're just a scared, lonely, little boy who opened his heart to someone for the first time in a while…and now you're afraid. Afraid because you actually enjoyed it and you're questioning your loyalties – and they're misguided loyalties. Isaac has lied to you, about everything that happened. You can't just write all Witchcraft off because some of it's bad, you have to embrace the good so that we can combat the bad – it's a gift it isn't a curse."

"Shut up," Isaac ordered, "kill her first."

Jake walked purposefully over Cassie and hovered his hand over her head and produced a blade, slicing it and letting the blood drop down onto the floor, he didn't look at her now, only ahead of himself; remaining steely and composed for what he was about to do. He then paused as he recalled the words to the spell in his head, "_Make sacrifice of yourself, may the Witch leave this Earth._" He knew exactly what would happen Cassie's blood would start to boil, her body would burst into flames and she would die in agony, taking her powers with her.

At that point the bulb illuminating the garage exploded, plunging them into darkness. Jake turned his head to the door as he heard muffled sounds of shouting and screaming – he recognized Faye and Melissa's cool, controlled tones as they came through the door and then felt Faye come toward him. "Don't play with what you don't understand little girl." He said, lacing his voice with menace as he threw an uppercut at her chin, sending her soaring across the room, he bent down and grabbed Cassie wrestling her out of the garage. He would finish this with her, once she was out of his head he could focus again on the end goal – killing them. Killing the Circle.

.

Faye staggered to her feat after receiving the blow to the chin and elbowed one of the Witch Hunters into the face, dropping them to the floor as Melissa brought Diana and Adam around. She could see her Mother and Charles, seated and looking guilty on the floor as they surveyed the carnage in the room. Faye bent down and looked at the lead Witch Hunter and slapped him round the face to wake him up as Melissa, Adam and Diana joined her, surrounding him.

The door opened again, admitting Ethan and Jane Blake. Adam immediately ran into his Dad's arms, embracing him in a hug that signified they might not have seen one another ever again. Diana had the urge to go to her father but felt strangely wary of him – though she wasn't sure why. He stead she focused on the head Witch Hunter, glaring at them now with a red-mark on his face where Faye had slapped him.

"So you wanted to kill us? Interesting," Faye said feigning such an emotion, "I wonder how you'll feel when the tables are turned?"

"You're scum," he replied, "Witches are evil and use their powers to abuse others – I'm doing people a service here. We're the Heroes, you're the villains."

Diana paused as she regarded the tattoo on his hand and then grabbed at it, "I recognize that symbol – I saw it when researched that blade that Cassie had. Initially we thought it just meant Witch Hunters in general…but you're from the True Believers aren't you?" he nodded reluctantly, "Then you really did make a mistake in letting a group of Witches capture you didn't you?"

"Why?" Faye enquired.

"He's a fundamentalist, the True Believers are the oldest and most extreme group of Witch Hunters there is," Faye and Melissa gave her confused looks, "he's sick and twisted and completely poisonous."

"I say we kill him." Faye said, grinning slightly.

Diana gave her a cautious look, "I have a better idea. _Poisoned mind become clear, forget your memories and lose dark years_." She looked at Melissa who nodded and Faye who followed suit, after protesting for a few minuets, "_Poisoned mind become clear, forget your memories and lose dark years. Poisoned mind become clear, forget your memories and lose dark years._"

Jane Blake moved toward the girls now, having hovered reluctantly at the periphery, "Where are Cassie and Jake?"

"He took her out into the woods," Charles murmured croakily, "he's going to kill her."

"He'll get them both killed," Jane replied darkly, "but you two will play no more part in this. _Clear your mind and begin refreshed, your minds will no longer recall this. Clear your mind and begin refreshed, your minds will no longer recall this. Clear your mind and begin refreshed, your mind will no longer recall this. Clear your mind and begin refreshed, your minds will no longer recall this._" Jane watched as Dawn and Charles both dropped into sleep again as the younger Witches surveyed them. "Jake…is dangerous make no mistake…but I am not strong enough to get involved," Jane produced Cassie's crystal and Henry's, handing them respectively to Faye and Diana, "you will have to find Jake and Cassie. You have to save them from themselves…I am too old and the entire thing has exhausted me. I have every faith in you as a Circle, and as Witches, you've come so far. Now I am sure that you can succeed. Now come-on go!"

.

"You're sure about this?" Ethan asked as he placed Dawn alongside Charles in the back of Jane's car.

"I don't see that we have a choice, your powers are only residual and I'm too old, the exertion might kill me Ethan…and even if I had more of the Elders here we wouldn't be able to help…I don't think so anyway. With the loss of Henry…the Elders have lost much of their power…even our crystals though powerful are waning – they can sense the rise of a new generation. We have to give over to them Ethan and accept that they were our new Circle and our new defence against Hunters…against darkness…against everything."

"But what about Jake he's…so unstable."

"He's volatile…but so is Cassie…together they could cancel out the effects."

"Why is it they can be together but me and Amelia couldn't be?" Ethan probed, stifling the desire to think back to perfect Amelia…before she died…when they were younger…teenagers enjoying the benefit of magic.

Jane frowned, "You were too pure for my daughter, just as Adam is too pure for my granddaughter Ethan. He might love her but she does not love him, and she cannot, for the same reason Amelia could not be with you."

.

**Sorry it's been a while,**

**Hope that Chapter 3 lives up to expectations,**

**Acrobat**

**X**

**Reviews and responses as always welcome. **


	4. Chapter 4

**The Secret Circle**

_So this is how it ends right. He drags me out into the centre of the woods, tries to kill me, I finally lose control and the darkness consumes me and kills both of us. I wonder if any of this is even going through his head? That we both kept battling with one another till the very end, without telling each other. That we never let our hearts take us over, instead we ignored our emotions and suppressed them because we had an agenda – a mission – something that we had to do. We must have gone a mile or two now from the others…all assembled together, wondering what was going to happen to the two of them._

"So this is it Jake," Cassie murmured, breaking away from him, stumbling over a few branches, "this is how you want to finish things?"

"I don't know what I want to do anymore," he yelled desperately, "Isaac said…and then you…this was never meant to be like this…you should have died that night at the boat house…things would've all been fine. But you let me fall for you and I was stupid enough to fall into your trap, and you've just been waiting manipulating me-"

"-yeah I have," Cassie fired back, cautiously closing the distance between them again, "yeah Jake I've been manipulating you because I needed to get to Isaac and to the True Believers and you were our easiest route forward. You gave me an opening and I took it Jake. You knew there was a darkness in me, well that was my father's side of things – duplicitous and seductive…the way he lured in my mother…the way I lured you in."

"The darkness is evil; I needed to kill it-"

"-no you didn't…you trusted in me for a little while," Cassie shouted again, "and then you changed right before my eyes – was it one of the stones that Isaac gave you…or something that they did to you at that Hunter gathering you want to," Jake gawped at her, "yeah I followed you there too – if my boyfriend was trying to kill me I wanted to know how he intended to do it. And you know what I found out Jake, all I needed was a lock of your hair, your family's stone and some hemlock – it's black magic, the blackest there is actually," she said confidently, producing the three items from her right pocket, "but then you have to use dark magic if you're going to kill someone."

Jake's eyes widened at her as she advanced on him, "Cassie…this is the darkness talking – focus you don't need to do this."

"You think that the darkness is controlling me Jake, you're trying to provoke it out of me…or isn't that why you brought me out here? To kill me so the darkness could be exorcised for ever?" Cassie quizzed mock-innocently.

Jake frowned, "If killing you is the only way to destroy the darkness that killed my family…then I have to do it Cassie."

"And you understand why I can't allow you to do that Jake," Cassie said, advancing on him, clenching the lock of hair, hemlock and ruby-red stone in the palm of her hand, "because if I allow it then you'll harness the darkness…and I couldn't…allow that."

_I can't falter now. I know Jake is evil. He was planning to kill me, its kill or be killed, and I can't die. I've lost too much already, and, if I die my darkness will be released and it might take Jake or any of the others…and they aren't strong enough to hold onto it, no matter what they say it would be too much for them, and I could never forgive myself if one of them died for my sins. But why kill Jake? Killing him won't set him free…this is something that I have to do for myself and I can stop Jake without killing him. He's evil. I know that. But he's twisted and he's been exploited. Isaac moulded and manipulated him into being someone he isn't meant to be, and I have to set him free from that. I'm going to. And then I can face this darkness on my own – like I was meant to. _

"I'm so sorry Jake," she said, dropping the hemlock and the stone to the floor and advancing on him, "know that I loved you…even for your flaws." She leant in and pecked him lightly on the lips. _Physical contact is best, and you don't get more physical than this. I can take the darkness from him, it won't make a difference now…then I can dispose of it all…and I'll finally be free. At least that's the hope. If this works. There's something I don't understand but I can't face that now. I have to give myself freely. _She brought her hand up to the back of his head and dropped him to the ground in one fell swoop, making sure he landed safely. By the time he regained consciousness she would be gone. If she headed north she'd be back by the Harbour and the Lake, and then she could finish it all. Finish everything. Cassie turned back to look at Jake one last time and then set off, jumping over branches and trees and crossing everything. Despite the sadness building inside of her she didn't cry, she channelled it, willing herself on bravely. Till she could get there and make the sacrifice.

.

"He's here," Faye called ahead of them, her voice sounding tense, "she knocked him out." Melissa drew up with Faye and bent down beside her as Faye tested his pulse and then briskly slapped him round the face. Jake jerked upright immediately, shocked out of his unconsciousness. He looked around frantically and then regarded Faye, who, so close to his face, seemed as though she might lean in to kiss him. Instead she sprang away from him, regarding him from above while Melissa stayed close beside him. Diana was keeping Adam at a safe distance – the two male Witches dangerous combination of jealousy, magical power and testosterone wouldn't help an already grim situation.

"Where is she Jake?" Melissa asked softly, ignoring Faye's imperious gaze.

"I'm not sure," he murmured distractedly, touching at the back of his head, "she said a lot about not letting me…_kill _her…to release the dark magic inside of her because she thought I'd harness it."

Diana moved closer now, keeping Adam behind her, "She must be trying to remove the darkness from herself."

"But she'd have to kill herself," Faye replied mockingly and then realized the true impact of that statement, "where would she go?"

"The harbour," Melissa answered solemnly, "she'll know that Nick…that the Demon was murdered there, water will purify her but it'll kill her in the process."

Diana nodded, "Faye take the boys to the Harbour – try and find Cassie, Melissa we'll get the Books and see if there's something in there to help…or if Jane can help us." Faye let the look between her and Diana linger for a moment and then break – it was a recognition between the two girls that they were now equals, aligned and attuned to one another. And strange though it was for Faye she felt a pang of warmth at that. She bent down and lifted Jake to his feet and then watched Adam advance upon Jake. She stepped in between the two of them as Diana and Melissa sprinted off, back in the direction they had come from.

"You two, put your rivalry aside – if you both love her you'll work together." Faye reminded and then waited as Jake and Adam sized one another up, before nodding begrudgingly and shaking hands gingerly. Faye nodded and then sprinted off toward the Harbour, followed belatedly by the boys.

.

_This is the easy part. I stand in the water and just put my head under, and then just let the water in and it sets me free. And finally I'll be at peace. There won't be a conflict…or darkness…or evil. I'll be free. So gloriously free. _

"Really?"

Cassie felt a shudder spark down her spine as she looked at Nick, standing beside her, waist deep in the water, a look of fear, tinged with that cocky smile she associated so readily with Nick, etched across his face. "Didn't think you had it in you."

"You barely knew me before…what happened," Cassie disregarded, trying to focus on the moment at hand, "and besides you didn't have a choice. I'm doing this willingly. I'll be free at last Nick, so wonderfully free, don't you understand how hard it is?"

"More than you'd imagine," Nick disagreed, moving closer toward her in the water till he was barley a metre away, "I grew up without parents and with a brother that was…that still is a dick Cassie, and yeah…my darkness isn't the same as yours but it's still there. I still know what it feels like, but when my darkness caught up with me I couldn't fight it. I wasn't as strong as you, and that got me killed. You're a hell of a lot stronger than me, than Jake – than any of us. The fact that you're standing here is a testament to that.

"If you take a long look at yourself you'll see you've come a long way from that stupid little blonde that breezed into Chance Harbour thinking that you're life was going to be hell," Nick grinned at her but Cassie couldn't…she was too entranced by how surreal the situation was, "and it turned out it was – but not as you expected it to be. You've made a bunch of friends that you will be tied to for the rest of your life Cassie. You're a smart Witch Cassie and you should know that this darkness isn't gonna beat you and you aren't gonna die to defeat it."

"I don't have a choice," she disagreed, "the Book of Shadows were no use…I couldn't find an answer in there…this is the only way Nick. The elements are purifying, and instead of being burned to death or buried alive drowning seems…easier. I can't do this Nick, and you can't stop me. I have to do this…then I can be free."

"I think they have something to say about it," he said casting his head toward the shore and Cassie turned around, spotting Faye, Jake and Adam, each regarding her urgently and each clearly searching for the best course of action, "you don't get to choose this Cassie, have faith in yourself and your abilities." Cassie turned to respond to Nick but he was gone, and at that point a thunderbolt crackled across the sky. Like that night at the harbour when she first arrived in Chance Harbour, when Faye triggered the storm. Except this time was different, Cassie could feel the electricity crackling through her body – it meant the darkness was coming.

She trudged back to the shore, toward Faye, Jake and Adam but then stopped short of them. She could feel how cold she was now – at first she'd thought it was just the water but this was something different, the darkness was coming. "Keep back," she yelled, "I don't want to hurt any of you, and don't try to stop me. I have to control this and do it myself – otherwise it might take one of you."

"Cassie we just want to help," Adam said stepping forward but without warning Cassie jerked her right arm and Adam sailed backward, smashing into a tree at the edge of the forest with a sickening crunch, slipping down it unconscious. Jake turned both his palms to the ground and Faye copied, holding their position while trying not to think about what kind of state Adam would be in after the impact. Cassie stepped away, repulsed at what she'd...what her darkness had just done. As if to state the impact another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky and Cassie could sense the rain-storm beginning overhead.

Jake moved tentatively toward Cassie and Faye mirrored, advancing upon Cassie who remained where she was, "Please stay back," Cassie said, realizing her voice was becoming increasingly hysterical as the first few raindrops began to hit her face and she felt the tingling building again in her body, "please I don't want to hurt any more of you." The electricity….the darkness was rising within her now, building like a cauldron as Jake and Faye moved closer, they were murmuring under their breath although Cassie couldn't tell what, as the darkness continued rising in her body. She felt it build up in her ankles and move swiftly through her body, absorbing her legs and her chest before approaching her head. The noise was deafening…though she couldn't tell what it was as she dropped to the floor, crying and screaming and writhing in pain.

Jake moved to touch her and Faye recognized that the connection would be deadly, wrenching his hand away seconds before a dark spell smashed into them, knocking them toward the tree-line, throwing them down just short of it as lightning again traced over the sky and there was nearby roar of thunder.

"I have to do something," Jake said looking into Faye's eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks, "I have to save her from this."

"She's gone now Jake," Faye said squeezing his hand tightly, "she's gone." She cast her head toward Cassie and then spotted Diana and Melissa stood on the far side of Cassie, tilting her head so Jake could spot them. He nodded and they both crawled slowly toward the two Witches, Faye drew herself up beside them, "What do we do? Adam's…unconscious and Cassie's…on the verge of being consumed by it."

Diana offered Faye her hand and she took it, giving her other to Melissa. Jake took Melissa and Faye's hands, completing a four person circle. Nestled in Diana's hand Faye felt a crystal and suddenly became aware that Cassie's crystal and her grandfather's were with the Circle as they stood silently. Suddenly Faye felt a connection, she could feel the ground at her feet, the air around her, the water pounding onto her and then she spotted the fire, a candle at the centre of them, still somehow alight despite the pouring rain. She could feel each of the elements working intricately together to produce purity – a kind of ethereal white energy that built in the centre of them as they all drew in the elements and brought them together with them.

Cassie could feel the tendrils of the darkness embalming her as they drew her in and tried to cut her off from the light, taking her away from the world and drawing her into the darkness. She could feel it wrapping around and then reached out, flailing with her arms for something to hold onto as she slipped further into the abyss, screaming and crying out for anyone to help her. And then she felt someone wrap her inside a hug, she blinked open her eyes a few types and then felt a single tear trace her faith as she regarded her mother, crouching in front of her. She was dressed in white robes and Cassie implicitly understood Nick had sent her.

"Mom…I can't do it…it's too hard…Mom please just make it stop." She said, feeling the strength of the last few weeks ebb away from her gradually.

"My sweet, sweet Cassie," she said stroking at her daughter's face, "you are stronger than I was –that's the reason you're going to beat what was always my mistake. Your father was an evil, wicked man…and I didn't see through that at the time. Instead I was stupidly taken in like young girls are. But if only you could know how proud of you I am, how happy I am that you and your Circle have such a close affinity. You have been everything and more than I could have hoped for – I never wanted this life for you but you have made this your life…you haven't let Witchcraft control you. You've shaped it and ensured that you use it responsibly and maturely and Cassie…you're just so wonderful. You have only one more challenge to overcome. This darkness is your father's attempt to manifest himself and he is coming, of that you can be sure Cassie. Your Circle are performing admirably – their powers are what brought you to me, and do not allow fear for Adam to build in you, your Grandmother is already ensuring that he is kept safe. One last, great push Cassie, and then you will be free at last. You can turn your back on this darkness. Courage, Cassie. I have every faith in your abilities as a Witch." Her mother kissed her softly on her head and suddenly Cassie felt a new strength, building inside of her as she stood up, shaking of the tendrils of darkness.

The tendrils snapped back like elastic, shaming them into a man that was taller than her, handsome, and about the right age to be her father. She could see why her mother had fallen in love. He was quite handsome in his own ways, tall, brunette, broad-shouldered and piercing blue eyes, like hers. The piercing blue eyes that meant deceit and ultimately death – darkness incarnate. She kept her distance from him but watched him warily. Acutely aware that he was plotting to kill her. He smirked at her and then began sprinting toward her, and before Cassie knew what she was doing she was hurtling toward him herself. She was glowing, an ethereal ivory colour, tails of lights stretching out behind her, while his tentacles of darkness began to wrap out behind him, trailing for miles. They were approaching the point of collision. Cassie closed her eyes as they smashed into one another and she felt a tornado of black and white whirl around them, wrapping and crossing over one another.

Thunder roared around them and then she hit the ground with a thud.

.

The light was streaming in through the window, glittering normally, as though she were wandering woodland. Except she wasn't. She was tucked into her bed resting. She slipped out from under the covers and realized she was dressed in a tee and a pair of shorts – someone had changed her clothes…and washed her hair, she realized stroking at it. She crossed to the window looking at the Armstrong's place and stopped as she regarded Jake, shirtless, wandering the room. He turned around and there was instant, warm, friendly grin on his face. She put her hand to the window in greeting, smiling uncertainly and he mirrored. She turned around as the door behind her opened and Diana slipped into the room, she was dressed in jeans, tee and a blazer – typical, effortlessly pristine Diana. Cassie grinned at her friend and hugged at her and then felt pain from trying to squeeze her too tightly so instead, flopped down onto her bed which equally hurt. She hadn't realized how sore she was all over.

"You feel bad, huh?" Diana quizzed, smiling sweetly at her.

Cassie nodded, "What happened? My body aches all over…I remember…seeing my Dad…and then there was this collision and…and then nothing."

Diana stroked at her left shoulder comfortingly, "The good news is that the darkness is gone, from you at least, your Grandma checked you over and whatever you did in your battle of wits or whatever worked…and as for the pain…you came down pretty hard after your ordeal. Not as bad as Adam…he's got a broken arm and collar bone so he's…looking a little messy," she blushed a little and tried to think of something other than Adam, "did you see Jake?"

"Just now at the window," Cassie said, musing over Jake's smile: did that mean that they were a couple now…she'd need some clarity there, "how's the Circle?"

"Better now we don't have this over our heads…Jake is reformed now…I think you did something to him. He even went to see Adam at the Hospital so they seem to have made amends…as for Faye…she is enjoying being able to exercise more individual power and Melissa…is focusing on her family's Book of Shadows…and finding us somewhere more secure than the Abandoned House." Diana clued-up.

"There's so much to discuss and think about," Cassie realized, absent-minded casting her head toward the window and where she was sure Jake would be, "even with this darkness lifted we have so much to think about it."

"And we can do that together," Diana replied confidently.

.

_Sorry that the update has been a long time overdue,_

_But I wanted to get it right so I hope that in some way mitigates this._

_This is also the last chapter I should point out…although there might_

_Be another Secret Circle fic at some point,_

_Hope you liked this one,_

_Acrobat_

_X _


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